Improvement in machines for rolling sucker-rod blanks



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. ALKER.

Machine for Rolling Sucker-Rod Blanks.

No. 20!,861. Patented April 2,1878.

lll'lESSEL I [TlVEIllEIE hlfa N PETERS, PHOTO-LITMQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON o c 2 Sheets-Sheet 2-.

' J; H. ALKER. Machine for Rolling Sucker-Rod Blanks,

No. 201,861. Patented April 2,1878.

7 far" N. PETERS. PHOTO-UTHGRAPHER WASH NGTON D C UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. ALKER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JONES & LAUGHLINS, OF SAME PLACE.

V IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR ROLLING SUCKER-ROB BLANKS.

Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 201,861, dated April 2, 1878 application filed November 30, 1877.

To all whom it may concern! I Be it known that I, JOHN H. ALKER, of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new the operative mechanism thereof. Fig.3 is a rear elevation, to an enlarged scale, of the rolls and dies. Fig. 4 is a detached view, in perspecive, also to an enlarged scale, of a portion of the operative mechanism, as presently to be explained. Fig. 5 shows, in perspective, the blank as produced by the machine at the first pass. Fig.6 shows the product of the second pass. Fig. 7, Sheet 2, is a vertical transverse section through the rolls in the central plane of the finishing-dies, and showing the rear guides and scrapers; and Fig. 8 is a rear'elevation of the rolls and a sectional elevation of the rear guides.

My improved machine is particularly designed for the production of blanks for the coupling of sucker and piston rods used in oil, salt, and other deep wells, by forging and shaping the same between revolving or oscillatory rolling-dies. v These blanks, as now required in the art,

' have to be made of concavo-convexform', and

of anincreasing width and a gradually-decreasing thickness toward the extreme outer end,

substantially as indicated in Fig. 6; but these characteristic features may be varied more or less, or, aside from the concave-convex form, may be entirely omitted.

In my machine these features, however, are secured by two passes of the blank, or by two forging operations, though this number may be increased at pleasure, or the devices employed at each pass may be incorporated into the structure of different machines; but for convenience of illustration, and also because I believe it to be the best, I have shown the entire invention in one machine.

The housings or frame-work A may be of any I suitable construction for carrying the roll axles or shafts A, the latter being driven by anyv known suitable machinery, as shown, or otherwise. A pair offorgin g-rolls are represented at B B, outside the housings orframe. Theserolls have a double arrangement of forging-dies, such in their general features as are already known in the art for kindred uses. The first or inner pair of such forging-dies have, first, a groove or grooves, a a, of sufficient size for the rectangular bar (the general shape of which, in cross-section, is shown at m, Figs. 5 and6) from which the blank is to be made to be passed through, preparatory to the bite there:

.on of the convex-faced tongue or die 0 and the concave-faced groove or counter-die c.

These dies are so shaped and proportioned that, after the bar is properly inserted, they will engage it at or about the point m Fig. 5, and, rolling it back, will bring it to the usual or desired concavo-convex shape, and with or without, but preferably with, the taper form shown in Fig.5. In order to insure this result, and prevent the bar from turning sidewise while thus being forged between the rolling-dies c c, I employ the guides shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7, and .8. Afront guide-table, having a slight concavity in line with the bottom of the delivery, is shown at s, Fig. 1. A rear guide-table is shown 1), and the latter is supported by any suitable brackets, D 'The table D is properly boxedin the line of feed for the passage of the bar.

In the raised ears D I arrange a transverse scraper, d, Fig. 8, in such position that while the forging operation is going on the upper face of the bar will engage the lower side of the scraper and be cleaned of its scale. Also in the frame D Figs. 2 and 8, I pivot a rocking shaft, d and to this rocking shaft I attach a scraper and guide, 8 which extends up and forwardtoa point just beneath the scraper d, or on the side thereof toward the point of bite, and its upper end is recessed or boxed, as shown in Fig. 8, to such form that it may,

on being thrown up, engage the bar both be.

neath and on its sides or edges, and thereby hold it in the desired line of feed, as against any tendency to lateral displacement. But as this guide must engage the bar only while it is being acted on by the dies 0 a, and since at other times it must be out of the way, so that the path will be clear for another bar to be fed in, I provide for raising and lowering it at the s into its operative position on the bar, as

above described. As soon as this pass is ended the lifter d ceases to engage the arm d and the guide 8 drops by gravity, or is forced down by equivalent spring, so as to be out of the way of a new feed. In this manner I produce the blank shown in Fig. 5; but in this operation I do not propose to .give it the entire amount of forging and shaping desired; but I prefer to do a part of the work at this pass, and complete it in another pass through between the other or outer set of dies. These dies, like the others, have cut-away parts 6 0, but of sufiicient size for the feeding through between the rolls of the end m of the blank as previously produced, preparatory to the bite thereon of the convex-faced tongue or die t and the concave-faced groove or counterdie z". These dies z i engage the blank at the point m Fig. 6, and they are so proportioned as to still further draw, reduce, taper, and shape the strap end in of the blank, and thereby finish and complete the same by a reverse or backward rolling action.

To insure accuracy and perfectness of product, I employ front and rear guides. The rear guides consist of an upper stationary or fixed guide, 12, Figs. 7 and 8, mounted in the ears D, so that its lower face shall take a bearing on the top of the blank.

. The lower scraper and guide 8 has a concave face or seat at its upper or free end, Fig. 8, and suchfree end comes about under the upper guide I), or on the side thereof toward the point of bite. The opposite end of the guide 8 is afiixed to a rock-shaft, I), and the latter receives, by the arm b and lifter d the same motions and in the same order relative to the action of the dies 6 t" as is above described relative to the guide 8 andfor the same purposes. The convex face of the blank being scraped by the guide .9 at this pass, it comes out of or is delivered from the dies with a sufficiently-good exterior finish.

I will next describe the front or delivery guides used in this pass, more fully represented by enlarged detached view in Fig. 4.

To a bracket, 1), I pivot a pair of movable jaws, G G, the forward or free ends of which are made each with a halfconcave, 9, so as to form a seat, along which the lower or convex face of the blank will be delivered, the curv ature of the seats g approximating as near as may be to that of the exterior face' of the ter.

blank.v Working immediately above these jaws is a roller-guide, h. The upper exterior edges of the jaw-shaped guides g are, by preference, hollowed out slightly beneath the roller-guide h, as shown at g. The roller-guide his mounted in one end of a connecting-rod, b the other end of which is, jointed to an arm, W, and which latter is pivoted to the end of a horizontal post or bracket, h and is operated by an eccentric lifter, h. The connecting-rod h is steadied in its short range of longitudinal motion by a wrist and slot connection. (Shown at p.)

Another connecting-rod, '12, extends from the arm 71. to a crank, n, on a rock-shaft, n

On the latter are two studs, q q, which extend up, one on the outside of each jaw G. The inner faces of these studs are made sloping or wedge-shaped in the direction of their forward stroke, and they operate against sloping counter-inclines g on the sides of the jaws G, so as, when thrown forward in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, they will close or tend to close the jaws together, and with a back or reverse motion will separate the jaws, or permit of their separation.

It will be observed that the strap part m of the blank widens toward the end last operated on. As the guide-seats g are intended not only to guide the blank in its delivery, but also, in connection with the roller 71., to assist in straightening it, it is better that the guideseats g should separate or spread apart gradually as the blank increases in width, so that the edges of the latter will be well supported in the operations of delivering and straightening; and to this end these guide-seats g should have a spreading motion corresponding to the length and rapidity of taper in the blank. This spreading motion is fixed and regulated by a slight eccentricity, which is given to the lifter h, just sufficient in amount or degree to permit the jaws to spread with the increase of the blank in width.

When the lifter h is not in engagement with the arm h the preponderance of Weight in the parts named, or the use of any suitable form of spring or tool, or the pressure of the parts in engagement at the close of the last previous pass, will cause the jaws G tobe most widely separated and the roller h to be at its highest point of adjustment. At this stage of the operation all the devices will be in place for the insertion of the blank.

It is intended that the lifter h should en gage the arm h at the same, or about the same, time that the dies t '6 engage the blank. As soon as this is "done the jaw-seats g are forced together, and the roller h is caused to move partly forward toward the rolls, and partly downward, so as to take a firm bite on the blank. I v

The first end or point of engagement of the lifter h is the one most remote from the cen- Hence as this lifter passes around it will gradually. ease up on the arm h with the result of gradually bringing the studs q q back,'allowing the jaw-seats g g to spread, and the roller h to move back and up until the operation'is completed. Y

Thus far I have made but slight reference to the straightening operation of the machine,

having reserved it for separate mention; but in this last rolling or forging such operation; is an important feature of my invention. The I blank, while being brought to the form shown in Fig. 6, is supported on its under side atthree points by the guide 8 the lower roll B, x

by the use of male and female shearing-dies u u. The die '6 merges into or terminates in the male shear a at the end last in operation, and the counter-die i in like manner terminates in the female shear al the edge of the end of the former cutting across the edge of the end of the latter, so as to trim off and give a well-shaped end to the blank, as shown in Fig. 6. A recess, 11?, provides room for the waste. But as this shearing operation requires the'use of steel shears, I make these shearingdies separate, as shown, and insert them in the rolls B B in any of the ways known to the art.

It should have been stated at theproper place that the space between the jaws G, when thelatter are spread apart for the insertion of the blank, is of great convenience, since it affords room for the use of tongs in manipulating the blank.

It will be seen by inspection of the drawings that the second set or pair of forgingdies 6 i" come into an operative relation with each other, or, in other words, begin their bite on the blank at such distance (measured in the direction of the motion) in the rear of the first point of bite of the first pair of forgingdies 0 c as to admit of the immediate transfer of the blank from one pair of dies to the next, without waiting for another complete revolution of the rolls; and this feature is practically an important one in the use of the machine, in view of the rapiditywith which such thin blanks lose their heat. It will also be seen that while this is being done another workman can feed in another bar through the grooves a a, so that with two workmen both sets of forging-dies can be operated continuously as to time and in rapid succession as to order of work.

Some of the features described may be advantageously applied to other rolling or forging machines for kindred purposes, and such uses of the features herein claimed are hereby included within the scope of the present invention.

The form of the guideseats g, as well as the.

number of separate parts which goto make up the operative face of such device asa guide, may be varied at pleasure to adapt the same for use in delivering other irregularly-shaped forms of rolled material, provided only such parts be so connected with the running machinery as to be operated automatically wholly or in part; also, as. described, the parts lettered g g and h move simultaneously toward the central line of delivery, and thereby gripe the blank on all sides in straightening it; but it is not absolutely. necessary that all these griping. parts should be movable, as some may be stationary in the proper position, and the other or others be caused to move automatically toward them. Also, in the arrangement of thelifting-arm's and connecting-rods considerable change may be made within the application of the doctrine of mechanical equivalents. l

The tongs which I employ for feeding in the blanks have a laterally-projectin g lug on each side, which acts as a feed-gage in connection with shoulders or stops 7' 1". (Shown in Fig. 4.) These stops are made at such point that the blank will be fed in with an end, m, of the desired length projecting clear of the point of bite. A like stop is made on the guide 8, as shown at r, Fig. 1.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. Ina machine having revolving forgingdies for the progressive reduction of concavoconvex blanks by two or more successive-passes. the combination of grooves a a e 6, adapted to the feeding of the blanks .on the delivery side, the tongue and groove dies 0 0, adapted to'the partial reduction of the blank, and the tongue and groove diesi'i, adapted to further reduce the same blank when the two sets of dies are arranged with the beginning of their points of bite not in the sameline, whereby the two sets of dies may be employed in succession on the same blank, and also simultaneously on difierent blanks, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the grooves e c, for feeding in the blank from thedelivery side, the tongue and groove dies i i, for finishing the concavo-oonvex body of the blank, and the removable male and female steel shearing and trimming dies at a, for shearing off to a finished form the end of the finished blank, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with tongue and groove rolling-dies for shaping irregular blanks, a swinging scraper-guide having a recessed operative face corresponding to that of one side of the blank, a cam, 61 and a guide fixed in position during the rolling operation on the opposite side, substantially as set forth.

4. A scraper attached to a rockshaft and a lifting-arm attached to the same shaft, in combination with a lifter, d attached to one of the rolls, substantially as described.

5. As a device for delivering or straightening (or both) blanks of irregular form from rolling-dies,:guide-seats g, adapted to vary their position automatically with the varying form of thearticle produced, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with revolving forgingdies and rear guides, a pair of pivoted jaws, G G, adjusted to and from each other automatically with the varying form of the blank, substantially as described.

7. A straightening device on the delivery side of a pair of rolls 'or rolling dies, which, by the automatic movement of one or more of its moving parts toward the central line of denecting-rod n, cranked shaft n studs qq, in- ;clines g 91, and jaws Gr, substantially as described.

12. The shoulders r 0', made on and as a part E of the j aws G G, and in combination therewith, J substantially as set forth. 7 p In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

livery, is adapted to gripe the blank on all sides, and thereby bring twisted or bent parts of the blank into line, substantially as set forth- 8. An automatically-operating griping device on the delivery side of a pair of rolls or rolling-dies, in combination with an automatically-operated scraper or guide on the opposite side, substantially as described.

9. The eccentric lifter h, as a device for opi crating, by means of suitable interposed connections, one or more of the movable straightening-gripers g g h on the delivery side of the j rolls, and "incombination with such g'ripers,i

substantially as set forth.

10. The pivoted jaws G G, adapted to open sufficiently for the insertion of the tongs be- 1 tween them in feeding, and at the same time free to close more or less while the reducing or shaping operation is in progress, in combistantially as set forth.

11. The combination of lifter h, arm h con- JOHN H. ALKER. Witnesses:

GEORGE H. GHRIstrY, GLAUDIUS L. PARKER. 

